


Reunion

by Bindah



Category: Ant-Man (Comics), Hawkeye (Comics), Marvel (Comics), Young Avengers
Genre: Drabble, imagine this happens in an AU because I started writing before the actual reunion issue came out, kate/cassie reunion, was originally a one shot but extended due to popular demand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-08
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-05-25 10:13:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6190942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bindah/pseuds/Bindah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Kate heads down to Miami for a few weeks away from the New York winter, mainly because LA is out of bounds now, the last thing she expected to be doing was shooting bad guys with Ant Man. Though she really should have realised. With the bad guys beaten and everything under control, Miami decides to drop another bomb on her. In the shape of a very familiar size changing superhero.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been meaning to write a Cassie/Kate reunion for ages. Ever since Cassie came back. But I wanted the team involved and I just couldn't figure out how. So maybe the Young Avengers don't know yet. There's rumours, but no one quite knows for sure.
> 
> And then Cassie's Ant Man issue got announced. The day before my birthday. I got pictures of Cassie and Kate talking. It was the best birthday present ever. 
> 
> Well, apart from the fact that my boyfriend proposed!
> 
> So here, have a short drabble with my favourite teenage superheroes finally reunited. Consider it an engagement present. (what do you mean that's not how engagement presents work?)

LA was out of the question. No way was she gonna risk going up against Madame Masque again. But the heat _was_ a nice change from New York’s cold winters. So Kate figured Miami was a decent alternative.

It hadn’t occurred to her that Ant Man was there. Until she got there and saw the billboard, anyway… And where there was Ant Man, there was bound to be bad guys. So when Hawkeye found herself shooting explosive arrows at a horde of robotic bugs, she was more inconvenienced than surprised. Trouble would always find her in the end.

Every now and then one of the arrows would wobble in mid-air, followed a second later by Scott Lang suddenly growing to full size to knock a bug out of the sky. At one point he turned to her and shot her a thumbs up. Sometimes it was hard to believe this man was a seasoned super hero. But then again, Clint did pretty well…

“Concentrate, Lang!” Kate shot back at him, gritting her teeth as a bug got a bit too close. She took it down with a quick stab to the head and returned to shooting the rest.

Then there was a red flash in the corner of Kate’s eye. A familiar red and black uniform growing larger. A huge foot coming down to stomp half a dozen bugs at once. The pattern on the suit the same as on Scott’s, but with the colours reversed.

“It’s a good job they were the last of them.” Scott muttered, perching on the giant girl’s shoulder. “Because Hawkeye looks like she’s just seen a ghost.” Suddenly he smacked his hand to his forehead. Obviously. That’s because she had.

“Give us five minutes?” Cassie whispered, shrinking back down.

“You never told her?”

“No.”

“I thought you would have told your team, Cass.”

“Dad…”

Scott hopped off her shoulder, growing back to full size and walking away.

“Ok, ok, I’m going.”

Cassie had shrunk back down behind some rubble. She almost hoped Kate hadn’t seen her, but the Hawkeyes had their name for a reason. Taking a deep breath, she crept out into the open street. Kate was just standing there, her fingers resting instinctively on the bowstring, but no arrow attached. Just a force of habit. The closest Kate had to a nervous tick. The Hawkeye’s mouth hung open.

“Cassie…” Kate stuttered. She shook her head violently, checking that this was no trick. She stepped towards Cassie, hand coming up to stroke Stature’s blonde hair. “You look just the same. Wanda?” She asked.

Cassie took Kate’s hand off her head and held it tightly, smiling softly.

“No.” Cassie answered. “It was Doom. After the inversion, or so I’ve heard.”

“Really?” Kate laughed, making Cassie’s smile turn into a full on grin. “And I thought that inversion thing messed up Iron Man!”

“You didn’t know?” Cassie asked her. “That he brought me back?”

“I heard rumours. But I tend not to listen to those. Plus, I figured this one was too good to be true.”

“I’m sorry.” Cassie sighed, dropping Kate’s hand.

“Sorry for what?”

“For not telling you guys I was alive.”

“Honestly,” Kate tipped Cassie’s chin up with the tip of her finger, immediately returning to the big sister role she’d played since the Young Avengers formed. “That was probably for the best. Losing you hit us hard, Cass. I’m not sure suddenly having you back again would be great for the team’s mental health…”

“I heard Eli left.”

“Yeah, and Nate killed the Vision. Our version of him anyway. Billy was really upset. If not for Teddy, I’d have been terrified for him. Tommy stayed a while, but then he ran off.”

“Sounds like Tommy.” Cassie smirked.

“Yeah. But now he’s running around with an X-man. I think David’s good for him.”

“And you?” Cassie pushed. “Were you alright?”

“My best friend died, Cassie. Of course not.” Kate replied. She broke away from Cassie’s gaze, looking around at the rubble and broken bugs. Off to the side, a couple of crumpled cars were smoking.

Cassie looked around too. Ant Man was nowhere to be seen, but she knew from experience that didn’t mean he wasn’t around here somewhere. He’d be shrunk down nearby, keeping an eye on his little girl.

Kate looked heartbroken. As though she was dwelling too much on the past. A past that didn’t matter anymore.

“Hey.” Cassie said softly. Kate’s attention went back to her friend. “We have two years of adventures to catch up on. I’ve been out of the loop.” Cassie smirked. “Shall we do that somewhere other than a smoking battlefield?”

“Ha.” Kate chuckled quietly. “Yeah. Let’s.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate and Cassie have a lot of catching up to do, and some big decisions to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intended to post this a couple of days ago, but it got out of hand and longer than I expected. And then Daredevil came out and honestly, I think that's a pretty reasonable excuse as to why it didn't go up yesterday. Here's chapter 2! Enjoy!

It only took one cup of coffee each before Kate and Cassie were back to chatting like they’d never been apart. The other patrons occasionally shot the two costumed heroes some strange looks, but Cassie was used to it, and Kate was so engrossed in the conversation she paid little attention.

Kate did not enjoy telling Cassie about the moments after she’d died. Tears welled up as she talked about Nate’s outburst. Ripping the Vision apart before jumping back into the time stream to become Kang the Conqueror. The Vision was back now. Running around saving the world as an Avenger just like always. But it wasn’t their Vision. It wasn’t Jonas.

Kate carried on, ploughing through the memories of their team’s fate. Cassie should know, she thought. Eli leaving. The others following one by one. The Young Avengers fell apart because Cassie was gone.

Billy sinking into a deep depression that only Teddy could pull him out of. Ever the loyal fiancé, Teddy provided him with the distraction he needed, and a reason to carry on. Mostly Kate was just surprised it had taken them so long to get back into saving the world.

Kate herself gave up for a while, she told Cassie, but soon enough she ended up with Clint, sharing the Hawkeye name, and a dog. The Hawkeyes had more in common than a name and an affinity with a bow. They were certainly both stubborn as hell.

Tommy, though, was left alone. The only one who wanted to carry on. Maybe because he too needed a distraction. Maybe because the twins were always meant to be superheroes. Or maybe just because Tommy never could stay still for long. Before long, he too had given up the superhero game, taking to flitting about the country from job to job.

Cassie really had been the heart and soul of the team. Not that Kate would ever tell her that. The kid obviously felt guilty enough about not coming back.

She listened carefully, soaking in every word. When Kate thought she saw tears glittering in her friend’s eyes, she decided that was enough, and moved on to the team’s latest adventure.

“You’d like America.” Kate told Cassie as she told Cassie what she knew about Billy and Teddy’s first meeting with the red, white and blue dimension jumper. “She’s pretty cool.”

“Sounds it.” Cassie smirked.

The Asgardian god of mischief, a superwoman who kicked star shaped holes in the multiverse, and a depowered x man. They were pretty strange additions to their roster, but somehow it worked. They defeated the Mother parasite, and by means that Kate didn’t even understand, somehow got Tommy back.

“Wait.” Cassie interrupted. “Billy did what to Loki?”

“He used a spell to age him up.” Kate explained. “In the blink of an eye, and a bit of fire, the god of mischief himself went from an annoying kid to a kind of cute 20 something.”

“Honestly I thought I’d seen it all with skrull princes and flying rainbow girls.” Cassie laughed.

“You have no idea. You want to try some of those alternate universes.” Kate shuddered.

“Doesn’t sound appealing.” Cassie shrugged. “Where is everyone now?”

“Billy and Teddy are in an Avengers team, of sorts, with Clint actually.” Kate told her. “America is running around the universe with Captain Marvel and Black Panther, of all people. And to be honest, I don’t know where the others are. I’ve been trying to find Tommy, but it’s hard to track down a speedster.”

Cassie seemed quiet, somehow subdued.

“You OK?” Kate asked her softly.

“Yeah.” Cassie replied quietly. “Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“About the others, About the rest of the team. I miss them a lot.”

“Maybe it’s time you told them?” Kate suggested, taking Cassie’s hand in her own. “Phone them.”

Cassie perked up a little at the idea. She pulled out her phone to check the time. A little late for what she was about to suggest, maybe, but her mom would understand once it was done. She had to.

“I’m not telling them over the phone.” Cassie announced. “I’m going to tell them in person. This is too big of a bomb to drop in a phone call.” She looked at Kate pleadingly. “Can you get us to New York?”

“Now?” Kate practically squealed. “As in right now? Tonight?”

Cassie nodded, smiling brightly. Kate sighed at the look on her friend’s face. In seconds, her phone was to her ear, ringing the first number on her speed dial.

“It’s not fair, you know. That look.” Kate whispered to Cassie. “It’s definitely cheating.”

“What?” Cassie protested, playing innocent. But she was grinning all the same.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know, Stature. The puppy dog eyes.”

“Never change, Hawkeye.” Cassie replied, sticking out her tongue.

Kate broke away from the conversation as the ringing tone stopped and the phone was picked up.

“Clint! I was starting to think you had your hearing aids out.” She chirped. “I need a quinjet in Miami. Yes, it’s an emergency. Yes, I need it right now. And no, no-one has died.” Kate rolled her eyes, making Cassie giggle. “Just get here ASAP Barton. Trust me with this one? I promise you’ll understand when you get here.”

After a few seconds, Kate hung up and leaned her head on her hands.

“Did you just commandeer a S.H.I.E.L.D. quinjet from the other Hawkeye without telling him why?” Cassie smirked.

“Yep.” Kate replied.

“And did he just agree to bring it even though you wouldn’t tell him why?”

“Yep.”

“Do you actually have that man wrapped around your little finger?” Cassie was grinning.

“Not always. I ran off to LA last summer because we fought that bad.” Kate told her. “But usually, yeah. You could say he trusts my judgement.”

“Is he angry?” Cassie asked, genuinely concerned for her friend.

“Yeah, but angry is pretty much Clint’s default emotion these days.” Kate took her friend’s hand. “Plus he’ll understand soon.”

Sure enough, it was only 10 minutes later when Clint set the quinjet down in a park over the road. He’d tracked Kate’s phone to find them. Kate and Cassie were already across the street before he had even opened the door. When he saw Cassie, his mouth dropped open comically.

“Stature…” He muttered. “Wow…”

“Clint.” Kate said, smacking her partner’s shoulder. “Cassie’s not the only person on this ship who’s died and come back to life. You of all people should not be surprised right now.”

“Fair point.” Clint said, smiling now. “But don’t tell me you weren’t shocked.”

“Oh, absolutely.” Kate admitted. “But unlike you two, I’ve never actually died.”

She sat herself down in the co-pilots seat. Maybe she didn’t have a pilot’s license, but after the best part of a year flying the Marvel with Noh-Varr, she knew what she was doing. Clint took the pilots seat, and Cassie strapped herself in just behind them.

“Are we really doing this?” Cassie asked, suddenly nervous.

“Oh yeah!” The Hawkeyes said in unison.

“Welcome back, kid!” Clint grinned back at her.

“Let’s go get the Young Avengers back together again.” Kate told her as Clint took the bird into the air. “At least temporarily.”

Up in the treetops, Scott sat on the back of a winged ant, watching the quinjet disappear into the distance. No doubt they were bound for New York. Cassie was right, he knew, it was way past time to tell the rest of her team. They deserved that after everything they’d been through.

He just wished it didn’t have to involve Cassie going AWOL and him having to tell her mother why…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 will be coming next week. I can't promise when because i'm literally working around some pretty big stuff going on in my life and it's like juggling knives. I can't even juggle balls, so you get how hard it is. If you want updates on how i'm doing, there's my twitter (@whoviandragon) and my tumblr (hawkeyetoo.tumblr.com)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie's finally back in New York. Kate gathers the others, but they don't have a clue what they're meeting up for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the unexpectedly long hiatus. We actually moved house, and only got internet today. Welcome back!

Kate stayed in the cockpit for a while, acting as Clint’s co-pilot. The two of them barely said a word, reading each other easily, just like they always did. Cassie, Kate noticed, was being unusually quiet, even for the little girl who’d always been the quietest member of a very loud teenage team.

“You OK, Cassie?” She called back.

Getting no response, Kate left Clint to it, after all he could fly this thing in his sleep, and made her way back to where her friend sat. Cassie didn’t react to Kate’s presence. She just stared at the floor with a distant look on her face. Kate had enough experience with Clint and Billy to know when she needed to tread carefully and not probe too much. Take what you can get, but don’t push too hard.

“Cassie?” Kate asked softly. “Are you alright?”

“Huh?” Cassie mumbled, slowly coming back to the moment. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking.”

“About what?” Kate asked. “You know you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“No, no, no. That’s not it.” Cassie insisted. “I want to. It’s just… What if the others don’t want to see me?”

“Cass, you mean the world to them.” Kate told her.

“But you said Billy and Teddy have another team now.” Cassie said.

“Only because there’s no Young Avengers anymore.” Kate reassured her.

“Nobody knows where Tommy is.” Cassie continued.

“Did we ever know where he was?” Kate chuckled. “That’s nothing new. Anyway, Billy can find him.”

“Eli left New York.” Stature said. She was reeling off what Kate had told her earlier, as though she was on autopilot.

“True. But I think he’s in town visiting his grandparents. We can get hold of him.” Kate told her, gently taking her friend’s hand. Cassie still looked exactly the same, Kate thought. She was still just a 16 year old girl.

“And the Vision?” Cassie pointed out.

Kate grimaced, remembering the moments before Nate left them for good, leaving the Vision broken on the floor. She hadn’t gone into much detail about that, trying to avoid the subject really.

“Ok. That’s one Young Avenger we won’t be seeing today. Seen as he’s now all grown up, devoid of emotions and has his own family of robots.” Kate frowned.

“Family?” Cassie almost cracked a smile.

“Yeah. It’s kind of creepy.” Kate forced herself to make a joke out of it. “I feel sorry for Nova, Spidey and Ms Marvel. Vision could be difficult when he was OUR Vision. Can you imagine what he must be like now?” She’d seen that Vision, watched the way he worked with the younger members of his team. To be honest, she didn’t like what she saw.

Cassie smiled fully. “Ha.” She giggled. “Poor kids.”

Kate pulled out her phone as she talked, feeling that she’d successfully cheered Cassie up, and fired off a text to Billy.

 

**_Meet at the old den. 15 mins. Bring Teddy. Try + find Tommy. And Eli?_ **

 

Less than 5 seconds later it dinged quietly with a reply.

 

**_What? Why? I mean ok but I’m confused._ **

 

“What was that?” Cassie asked, craning her neck to try and see.

Kate swiftly tucked the phone back in her pocket.

“Nope.” Kate grinned. “You’ll find out soon enough. We’re nearly there.”

The old Bishop Publishing warehouse hadn’t been used since the last time the original Young Avengers team had been there, just after Cassie’s apparent death, when they’d dropped off all their gear. But, apart from all the dust that had settled, everything was just the same as Cassie remembered it. Well, everything apart from a red, white and blue shield propped carelessly by the door.

“Eli left it there.” Kate explained, seeing Cassie looking.

Cassie stared at it sadly. It broke her heart to see the once vibrant Young Avengers headquarters abandoned and empty. Luckily no-one had tried to break in after all this time and the well used gaming gear was all intact, but the uniforms still hung unused on rails, and the sofas were covered in a layer of dust.

“You guys really did quit, huh?” Cassie sighed. “I didn’t want to believe it.”

“Yeah. We did.” Kate said. “But it didn’t last long. In most cases anyway.”

As she spoke, there was a blue flash on the balcony, followed by a familiar pair of young, male voices.

“Did Kate say why she wanted us here? We haven’t used this place for years.” The deepest said.

“No, she didn’t.” A slightly higher voice replied. “But it’s got to be important right? Or she’d never come back.”

Kate tapped Cassie on the shoulder and put her finger to her lips, asking her friend not to say anything.

“It is important.” Kate called out, stepping into the open so that the boys could see her from the other floor. “Come down here.”

Wiccan and Hulkling got halfway down the stairs before Cassie stepped into the light. They were walking hand in hand, Hulkling in his big, green and scaly form, and both boys in full costume. Very different costumes than last time she’d seen them. Especially Wiccan’s. The new one was incredible. The galaxies and stars swirling in the fabric. Obviously it must be his magic that had made it. How powerful had he gotten? She fought the urge to run and hug them there and then. Let them realise what was happening first.

Neither of them spoke. Just stopped dead and stared. After a minute or so with no response, Cassie couldn’t stand it and broke the silence herself.

“Hi.” She whispered. “I missed you.”

Teddy shook his head, shrinking back down into his human form. He stepped past Billy, covering the distance with huge strides, and pulling Cassie into a big bear hug.

“This was the best reason ever to call us away from the New Avengers.” He said softly. “Thanks, Kate.”

Billy still hadn’t spoken. Still hugging Teddy, Cassie looked to him hopefully.

“I heard rumours.” Billy stuttered. “But I was scared.”

“Scared?” Cassie questioned.

“Scared it wasn’t true, I guess. Or that it was but you weren’t the same.” Billy finally stepped forward and joined the hug, pulling Kate in with him. “I’m so glad it was true.”

After a moment, he spoke again. “I sent Tommy a text.”

Kate pulled away.

“How? I thought he wouldn’t give you his number.” Kate said.

“Magic, Hawkeye.” Billy smiled. “I don’t need his number.”

“You could stalk anyone on the planet.” Cassie laughed.

“It’s a good job I never would.” Billy grinned back. Just like that they'd fallen back into their friendly teasing as though the four of them had never been apart. “He’ll either be here any minute or he’ll ignore it completely.”

Sure enough, a green streak zipped past them, skidding to a halt a few feet away. At Tommy’s feet, a boy in an old X-men uniform had been dumped unceremoniously on the floor, as though Tommy had been carrying him. The boy pulled himself to his feet, and stepped back, sensing that this was a private conversation.

Tommy himself, for once in his life, was completely quiet. His face was one of complete shock. After a moment, the speedster’s knees buckled. Both Cassie and Billy jumped forwards to catch him.

“Cassie…” Tommy whispered, grabbing Cassie’s uniform tightly. “You’re actually here…”

“Yeah, Tommy. I am.” Cassie smiled. “I’m back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was fun to write, but man it took so long... Even just the first draft took over a week. I think I was being too picky with writing it exactly the right way.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Young Avengers are reunited, well most of them anyway.

There was a new kid dumped on the floor, and everyone was staring at her, waiting for an explanation. All Cassie could think about though, was that out of the whole team, only Tommy still had the same suit.

Good old fashioned green and silver. Speedster colours.

What else had changed since she’d been gone? Probably a lot. But maybe that didn't matter. They were still her friends. Most importantly, they were still the Young Avengers, whether they were on other superhero teams now or not.

“I missed you guys so much.” She told them, grinning.

From behind her came a sob. Surprisingly from Kate of all people. Then everyone was hugging again. Even Tommy “I-Don’t-Do-Hugs” Shepherd joined in.

The poor X-men kid stood awkwardly in the corner.

“I should have warned you not to bring David.” Billy muttered to his brother through Cassie’s hair. “Sorry.”

Once they’d finished, the new boy, David, strode over and shook Cassie’s hand. “So you’re Cassie, huh?” He smiled. “I’m David Alleyne. Prodigy. I used to be an X-man.”

“I noticed.” Cassie laughed, nodding to his uniform.

“Hey!” Tommy shouted, zipping to Cassie’s side in a green blur. “There’s got to be a story here. I wanna hear it.”

Cassie plopped herself down on one of the sofas. Surprisingly, it wasn't covered in dust. She suspected that maybe Kate had been keeping the place clean, just in case they ever needed iit again.

“I’d love to Speed, but honestly I don’t know much of it. All I know is that it was something to do with Doctor Doom.” She said.

“Asshole.” Tommy mumbled.

“Thank you, Speed, we know.” Teddy shouted from the kitchen. He was sliding a couple of pizzas into the oven.

(“Pizza is _always_ a good idea.” They heard Kate saying as she helped.

Cassie's suspicions were confirmed, then. Why else would Kate keep the den stocked up with food if she wasn't hoping they'd use it again?)

“He brought me back.” Cassie finished. She admired the looks of shock on every one of her friend’s faces. “That’s all I know. I swear. But I’m back now.”

“And that’s what matters.” Billy grinned. 

“ _Buthowdidyougetyourpowersback? Didyoukeepthem?_ ” Tommy sped through the sentences. Cassie found that even after all this time, she could still mostly understand him when he did that.

“Weird stuff happened. I got kidnapped, again, and lost my powers. And did stuff that maybe I don’t want to talk about to get them back.” Cassie said. "It's not something i'm proud of."

“But I wanna know…” Tommy whined.

“Tommy, shut up and leave her alone.” Kate snapped. “Go get some soda.”

With a gush of wind and a faint green blur, Tommy zipped off to the nearest shop, returning a few seconds later with two big bottles of soda. He set them down on a coffee table, ignoring the fact that they were seriosuly shook up. No doubt he'd explode them later.

“Got it.” He announced. “Can I ask her now?”

 **“NO!”** Everyone shouted at once.

Billy sat down next to her, his hands glowing blue as he used his powers to magic up some non-fizzed up soda.

Cassie laughed. “I missed this.” She told them. “I missed us. You said there were others as well, right? When can I meet them?”

“I sent America and Noh a text, so they should be here soon. I think you'll like them.” Kate said. "Trust me, you're better off not meeting Loki. He's more trouble than he's worth. Plus we haven't heard from him for a while anyway."

One by one, the rest of the team joined them on the sofas. They were quiet, just enjoying each other's company. Billy leaned into Teddy's side. Tommy wouldn't stop staring at Cassie, like he really couldn't believe that she was back.

The pizzas hadn’t even cooked yet when there was an almighty boom that shook the ground. The team, both new and old, stood up in an instant and looked at each other hopefully.

 _You can take the superhero out of New York._  Cassie thought. _But they’ll still be a superhero._

The TV, turned on but muted, showed images of an ongoing bank robbery, pretty much around the corner. Smoke plumed out of the main entrance, and panicked civilians ran. Nothing major, by superhero standards, but right then, the Young Avengers didn’t care.

“Just like the good old days.” Teddy laughed as they all moved towards the door in unison.

Cassie grinned and looked around at her team. “Can I say the thing?” She asked sweetly.

“Go for it, Stature!” Wiccan replied, grinning.

**“Avengers Assemble!”**

And just like that, the Young Avengers were back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was only a short chapter. I wanted it to have a proper fight scene at the end, but it turns out I have no idea how to write that... 
> 
> If I can figure it out I might expand this story to include it. Plus Cassie still has to meet America and Noh-Varr. If that's something people want anyway?

**Author's Note:**

> Originally this was just going to be a one shot, but I jokingly posted on Tumblr that i'd probably get so impatient waiting for Cassie's issue that i'd write a 50 chapter reunion story before it came out... And people seemed to like that idea... So i'm going to extend this story. I hope you're ready.


End file.
